‘Rising Star’ Contestant Sarah Darling: The Next Taylor Swift?

‘Rising Star’ contestant Sarah Darling is not only beautiful, but also very talented! The country music singer/songwriter could very well be the winner of this seasons competition, and HollywoodLife.com exclusively spoke with her!

Sarah Darling, 31, is leaving it all on stage for ABC’s new reality singing show Rising Star. The multitalented country singer reminds us of none other than country superstar Taylor Swift. Sarah stunned the crowd with her performance on June 22, with her cover ofKacey Musgrave‘s “Merry Go Round.” The Nashville singer is bringing more than just her amazing vocals to the show!

‘Rising Star’: Sarah Darling — Interview

On ABC’s new singing competition Rising Star, viewers can vote on each singer’s performance in real time, instead of having to wait like on other competition shows. But how does this new format work with the contestants? Did it give Sarah Darling an advantage over the others on June 22?

“It’s a great concept because it’s in real time. Being a singer, it’s about the fans in the first place and them joining the journey with you,” Sarah revealed to HollywoodLife exclusively. “That’s great about this show, they can make or break you right then and there. It’s a special show, it’s a concept that’s never been done and it’s great.”

What would a good competition show be without a panel of expert judges? Brad Paisley, Kesha and Ludacrishave taken on the role of weeding out the contestants in hopes of finding one lucky singer, but are they harsh critics?

That wasn’t the case for Sarah.

“With ‘Merry Go Round,’ Brad said that it was a good choice,” she said. “Kesha tells me I have a great voice and wants to here more. Ludacris, he’s so supportive and I was surprised when I got his vote. With that, he encouraged my potential.”

Getting positive feedback from the judges is one thing, but was Sarah nervous that the audience would like her song choice?

“I knew ‘Merry Go ‘Round’ was a risk to sing but Josh Groban encouraged me to do it, he gave me a lot of confidence to do it and told me I was
a great singer,” revealed Sarah. “It’s such a beautiful song and it means a lot to a lot of people… so, I don’t regret my decision about that choice. It was awesome.”

Speaking of influences, just who does Sarah lookup to when it comes to musical stylings?

“Taylor, she is a perfect example of an artist who knows herself and her brand. She’s an amazing song writer,” said the Rising Star contestant. “She’s one of the best female song writers in the industry.”

Then there’s the question we just had to know, who does Sarah think her biggest competition is on the show!

“That’s a tough question. They’re always surprises. I think Macy Kate is awesome,” said Sarah. “From a talent perceptiveness, I was blown away by her performances. She’s great.”

This Isn’t Sarah’s First ‘Merry Go Round’

Sarah is a veteran when it comes to performing. The 31-year old Nashville singer has already previously released two albums: 2009’s Every Monday Morning and 2011’s Angels and Devils, giving her more of an edge over the other contestants.

The country singer also had success in 2012 with the single, “Home To Me,” which sold over 8,000 copies and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.

We wish Sarah and all the other contestants luck, we will be watching!

What do you think, HollywoodLifers, is the show just heating up? Who do you think is Sarah’s biggest competition so far? Let us know!